


I'll leave you to it

by mizzsy



Series: Part of a Narrative [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Family Feels, Hamilton References, M/M, Pining, Why Did I Write This?, mashing two stories together with no regard for canonical fact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-27
Updated: 2017-02-27
Packaged: 2018-09-27 06:23:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9980252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizzsy/pseuds/mizzsy
Summary: I love my brother more than anything in this life, I will choose his happiness over mine every time.Newt would give up the chance of a distinct 'something' with Percival for Theseus, but he did not forsee the paths life would take them.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the deleted Hamilton song 'Congratulations' and my undying love for angsty family dynamic. This was originally going to have Newt as Eliza and Theseus as Angelica, but I wanted to challenge myself by switching it and also give Newt a chance to do the cute protective brother thing.
> 
> Also please just roll with the idea that Graves wasn't from an original 12 family. I;m aware I've mutilated the canon from both stories

_A Million Years Ago_

Newton Scamander was never under any illusions about his family’s prospects.

Whilst they were inarguably a successful and increasingly wealthy family, in proper society they were disdainfully regarded as ‘new money’, and more importantly-half-blood. Despite his Mother’s well favoured Hippogriff farm, she came from a family line of little importance, and to marry a muggle on top of that had done her sons no favours when it came to fighting their way to notoriety.

Not that Newt had minded all that much; no ambition, as his old professors often criticised. He was aware he would have to fight hard to be recognised as worthwhile by the upper wizarding classes, and frankly the reward just wasn’t worth it to him.

Theseus, on the other hand, had dreams enough for the both of them.

His brother, ever the hero, ever strong, looked to positions that would allow him to help protect as many people as he could. In rising up, he saw opportunity for good rather than power. 

And therein lay the problem that had hung over the brother’s heads since Theseus told his head of house that he would become the Director of Magical Law Enforcement, whatever it took.

No matter how talented, well-intentioned or deserving Theseus was, people like them couldn’t advance through the ministry without strong familial connections, a respected and old name, of which the Scamander family had neither. They had always known at least one of them would have to marry for the family to climb socially.

Theseus, of course, had always reassured Newt that it would be his duty to marry, that he wouldn’t force the burden onto his beloved baby brother. And when he was young, Newt accepted this with no small amount of relief. It would hardly be fair, after all, for him to marry some old snobbish witch or wizard just because Theseus was as stubborn as they come. He was going to marry for love, undoubtedly.

But as he grew older, losing the selfishness that naturally came with being young and the centre of someone else’s world, he truly began to understand all the sacrifices, little and large, Theseus made for him and everyone around them every day. Many times, Theseus had let him have his way or given something up for him regardless of whether it was fair or not, and only because he thought his younger brother deserved it.

By the time the war began, and Theseus gave himself to it as he did everything, Newt had made up his mind.

With all that Theseus sacrificed and gave to help others, he deserved this one thing- he could live with another, possibly a complete stranger, to help his brother’s dreams come true.

He had long outgrown notions of love, anyway, barring the love he had for his brother and his creatures.

Which is why, as he made his way around the grand hall, he had been completely unprepared for Percival Graves.

The dance, held to honour soldiers like Theseus and him, had brought wizards and witches from across the world into a blur of dancing colours and music that the Scamander brother’s had hoped to lose themselves and their nightmarish memories in for a night. And yet, the moment he saw those eyes, stood apart from everything else that floated around the room, he was caught helplessly by them. It was not love at first sight, of course not. It was simply a nudge, from one soul to the other, that there was something more to be found in the first look.

So Newt made his way across the room, the polite enjoyment leaving his face replaced by a look of challenge. And Percival, he rose to that challenge.

Their talk was paced, witty, and far more engaging than the distraction of the chatter he had taken part in with the guests previously. Immediately, Newt found a match in intellect and humour, in a handsome face whose gaze never left his. His skin tingled, as though Percival’s strong hands were already stroking his body, with just the words that danced from his mouth. They only talked, but it was not just talking. The glances between them, the smiles and breathy laughs assured the both of them that this was something more.

They spent the evening together this way, the two of them bound up by one another, and though Newt would not claim to have fallen in love in just one night, he would be a fool to not realise it was the beginning of something.

By the time Percival departed, with an address slipped into Newt’s pocket and a charming kiss pressed to his hand, Newt had learned to be selfish again, as only extreme want can do. Watching Percival leave, Newt finally allowed his delight to show on his face to mirror the thumping in his chest. He dashed off, all promises to Theseus breaking apart in the light of a newer love.

Just as quickly, however, he was reminded just why he had that promise in the first place.

He found his brother seated on some sofas, head ducked low and close with another womans. Their hair brushed against one another's and eyes crinkled in quiet happiness that came from being with that one, particular person whose presence brings you warmth for no reason at all. His brother, whom he had not seen smile so easily since they returned from the war, each moment of mirth joined by the guilt of surviving to feel it when so many had not. His brother, with the expression of a man who could only be truly, completely in love.

Newt was reminded just why he had decided years ago that he would choose his brother's happiness over his own every time.

“Oh, Newt! There you are, come over and meet Linnhe.”

Here were Newt’s realisations:

Linnhe, like Percival, did not come from a high bred wizard family.

One of them would still need to marry for family.

Theseus was in love with Linnhe, and if Newt told him he had met the man he wanted to marry he would give her up for his brother.

Newt could not, and would not, be responsible for taking Theseus away from the one thing that seemed to heal his soul, for a ‘something’ that might do the same for him.

“It’s a pleasure,” Newt said, voice proudly strong as he took the hand of the woman his brother would marry within the month.

***

Newt met his own future spouse shortly after given a heartfelt toast as Theseus’ best man.

Annabella Fudge was a girl his mother would describe as ‘homely’, her personality neither too eccentric nor too dull. She was a perfectly fine girl from a notable family.

Newt barely managed 10 minutes of conversation with her before being bored to tears.

I believe it is your fault, Mr. Graves, that my expectations for stirring conversation have been raised quite so much. He had written, in one of many letters to his new American friend. The matters they discussed never turned too far from safe ground, no hint of the connection they had experienced that night ever inked itself onto the leafs of paper. And yet every time an owl dropped an envelope with the familiar, beautiful script, his heart leapt a hundred times more than it ever did from kisses from his wife.

It seemed to him that Percival’s absence made him fall in love just as hard as his presence had; for now, he felt a space in his life he had never noticed before, and knew there was one person made to fill it. Perhaps, if Percival had remained in England,he would not miss him so terribly that he could not mistake his feelings for anything but a bone deep love.  
The night before he boarded the boat to America, Percival had visited the Scamander household, charming his parents and amusing his brother.

“Don’t forget to write,” He had whispered into Newt’s ears, daringly intimate for an engaged man. For a moment, Newt almost tugged him closer and pressed his lips to Percival’s. He almost took him by the hand and ran away with him. He almost told Percival that at night he was haunted by his cold, intelligent eyes even more than the war.

But he did not. Percival left the next morning, and their relationship continued to be defined as ‘almost’.

Newt married Annabella in the spring, detailing the ceremony briefly in his letter to Percival, and she began introducing Theseus to important people as ‘my darling brother-in-law’.

Theseus and Linnhe had a son by the autumn, and Newt was the third person to hold him.

He could not bring himself to regret the smile on his brother’s face.

***

_Look at us now_

Newt was going to murder Linnhe.

He had not thought himself an angry or particular hateful person, typically described as too nice by all who knew him. But reading the morning paper, and the story splayed across its pages he had felt the cold desire to hurt someone, to utterly destroy them seep into him so easily it felt as though it had always been there.

**SCAMANDER ACCUSATIONS REVEAL SCANDALOUS AFFAIR.**

**Ministry in uproar this week following accusations against Director of Magical Law Enforcement, Theseus Scamander, of colluding with Dark Wizard Grindelwald.**

**In a shocking twist, Scamander’s wife revealed details of an ongoing affair between herself and his accuser, Primus Black, which led to these charges.**

**Read all details on page 4, in Linnhe Scamander’s salacious recount of years of secret meetings and forbidden love!**

The disgustingly cheerful text framed a picture of his own brother, haggard and tired, in the centre of the page. He did not turn to page 4. Instead, he charged from his armchair and out of the door-only one target in mind.  
Linnhe Scamander met his eyes with a look of relief- he had become quite close with the woman over the years, and a fair voice in her and Theseus’ various disagreements.

“Newt…”

“Linnhe,” He said, voice cold as the fury still broiling inside him, “What have you done?”

The woman at least had the decency to look ashamed, head turning towards the floor and away from her brother-in-law’s accusing stare.

“No, let me summarise,” He continued, “You conducted a years long affair with your husband’s colleague, lied to my brother, who you professed to love with all your heart. Your lover, hoping to force your hand, then accused my brother of all these vile things, baseless threats that never would have come to anything in our courts. And then, you decided to reveal it all to a newspaper, or all things, letting the whole world know of what goes on in your bed. Making my brother the centre of yet more gossip.” He stepped towards Linnhe, looming over her with all his hatred, “Now tell me- did you at least warn Theseus before this morning’s paper arrived at his desk?”

Her silence said it all, and Newt scoffed at her, before stalking away to pace around the room.

“I hope you’re satisfied with your new lover.” He said, “I hope he was worth it.”

“I still love Theseus,” she cried out, voice filled with honest anguish, “The affair was a mistake, I know that, but Primus was determined to ruin our lives. I had to do something to cut him off, reveal him for the liar he was. If it took a sacrifice of our family pride to try and save Theseus from worse then it would be worth it.”

“Sacrifice?”

Newt stilled, the anger that had been armouring him up to this point melting away in the wake of old memories.

“I stayed in a loveless marriage for years, for my brother and you. I saw how much he loved you, and Merlin help me, I thought you loved him enough that it would all be worth it. I sacrificed the love of my life for you and Theseus, do you know why?”

“I love my brother more than anything in this life-you, Percival, anything. I will choose him over anyone, anything, including my own happiness. And for some reason, he decided that you were what made him happy. So you better continue to do that. You will get down on your knees and beg for my brother’s forgiveness if you have to. If you truly still love my brother, you will dedicate your life to making this right.”

“Newt…”

“I mean it Linnhe,” he said, “All your sacrifices, all of mine, are for my brother. I will ruin you if you make him suffer again.”

Linnhe did not make a sound to stop Newt leaving, the slamming of the door enough to send her crashing to her knees in tears.

***

_My dearest, Newt,_

_I have heard of what has been happening in the papers in England. I have already written to Theseus to ascertain his well-being, but I worry also for you. I know how close you and your brother are, and that you must be feeling angry over his mistreatment at the ministry and in the press. However, I implore you not to let the anger get the better of you. You are, and always have been, a good man, and turning away from that will not help your brother-only satiate a sense of revenge._

_I know we have always danced around the topic, all these years, but I cannot stop myself referring to what we both have known for a long time in direct terms. Newt, when we met all those years ago, I was blown away by the fact that I could feel so connected to someone so quickly. But I had never considered the possibility of someone like you before. Nothing, in my life before or since had caused me such delighted excitement than the idea that that was the start of something important happening for the both of us, and we were allowed to be aware of it as it unfolded. Every letter since has always been filled with the same excitement, muted by our reality, but there nonetheless. I wish to say, plainly, that I love you Newt, and I have since that night. It is the kind of love where I would tear down all walls and obstacles to be able to keep your heart with mine._

_And yet I have not, as you are aware. And the reason I have not fought for this with all my soul is one you already know- the moment I saw you with your brother, I knew I could not be the one to force you apart. No matter how much you may love me Newt, you will always love Theseus more and it is not a fact that angers me, it only assures me more of your kind heartedness and has made me able to hold your words close to my heart for so long without going mad._

_The reason I say this so bluntly now, after so long politely ignoring it, is that I know you will need reminding of just who you have made all these sacrifices for. At the heart of all of this, is Theseus. No matter how much you may want to rage at Linnhe, or Primus or every other bastard who has hurt your brother in this affair, try to think on whether it will actually help Theseus, or just yourself._

_As hard as it is to accept, it is Theseus’ decision on whether to forgive Linnhe or not, and you will need to respect that, or everything you have decided will be in vain._

_I do not wish to end this letter on a preaching note, but rather a far sweeter one. So I will tell you this: By the time you read this I will be on a ship to London, to spend the season with you and your family at your brother’s invitation. I know you are still a married man, and that your family is in uproar, but this trip, I hope, will give us what we have never before had. A chance._

_Yours, always,_

_Percival._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr: adequately-fed-artist.tumblr.com send me prompts/asks/whatever


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